


Fight or Flight

by NerdofSpades



Series: Open Doors [10]
Category: Assassination Classroom, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Attempted Murder, Gen, Impromptu Lessons, Kurogiri has a bad day, Quirk Analysis (My Hero Academia), dress to impress, post reaper arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 16:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20530850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdofSpades/pseuds/NerdofSpades
Summary: Kurogiri hasn't been called to see his master for anything other than reports on Shigaraki Tomura since he met All for One's successor. As such, he's plenty surprised when he get's called on for a mission outside of caring for his ward. He's not particularly surprised when it goes wrong, but he is surprised at exactly how it played out.





	Fight or Flight

**Author's Note:**

> Little later in the day than I normally post, but that's just how things are gonna be. The school year just started up again, and I have a lot of morning classes. Right now, it doesn't look like I'll need to change what day I post, but we'll just have to wait and see.

The summons from All for One were a surprise. Well, the summons themselves weren’t a surprise. Kurogiri reported directly to All for One more often than Tomura would think. This time was just… not in the usual timeframe.

And not about Tomura.

The file offered to him was not something that would stand out. A simple manila folder. A rather thick manila folder with no actual markings on it.

He took it from his master’s hand very carefully, unsure what kind of assignment he would be given. It had been so long since he’d had an assignment other than teaching and caring for Tomura that he had honestly forgotten how these things went.

“You’re nervous,” All for One observed.

“Yes, Sensei,” Kurogiri answered. “I am… out of practice with many of the things you have asked of me in the past.”

“Hm, that may be true,” All for One answered him, “but I’m sure this won’t be too much for you to handle. Or, rather, if it is, it will hardly be your experience at fault.”

Kurogiri nodded. “What is my task?” he asked, opening the file. The first page showed a person with a very odd quirk that gave them a bulbous head and tentacles reminiscent of an octopus. Wait, no, that wasn’t his quirk? He was _how fast!?_ “Am I to recruit this… man?”

“No, although it is a reasonable assumption. I would normally be very quick to snap up such an asset. But, no, I am interested in him for a very different reason. Read a little further.”

Right. Kurogiri kept reading. Beyond the speed he had exceptional healing abilities, being known to regrow entire tentacles in only a moment. He was also incredibly intelligent, creative, and known to give his assailants makeovers. And he had some kind of defense form that made him invincible, but also made it impossible for him to do anything and very easy to move.

And his head was worth ten billion yen. Thirty billion if he was killed by a group.

“You want me to kill him.”

“Indeed. I would ignore him, that much money, while lucrative, isn’t necessary with our other sources of income. However, given the sheer power he possesses he can very easily be a threat. One that I also would have ignored if not for the fact that if he is not killed soon, he will destroy the world, and I do very much like living on this planet.”

“I… will see what I can do.”

“Kurogiri.”

He stopped and waited for his instructions.

“Do not, under any circumstances, harm the children, and if at any point you feel yourself being overwhelmed or cornered, retreat. You are more valuable to me in the long run. Someone will handle this eventually.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

* * *

It hadn’t taken long to figure out what All for One meant when he said, “don’t hurt the children.” The target (Korosensei, as said children called him), was a teacher and had taken rather well to the roll, quickly becoming attached to his students. And with that attachment came a protective streak wider than most heroes could claim. There was also the small fact that harming the students would make the bounty null and void and would probably piss off the equally attached government agent stationed at the schoolhouse.

All in all, it was a massive mess. Kurogiri would have loved to use the students against the monster, but that was likely to get him killed very quickly, given Korosensei’s skill set.

Well, at the very least this would be good practice for their plan with All Might. And All Might was significantly slower than Korosensei.

Kurogiri opened a portal from outside the school, with the other end opening directly under where his target was standing. He’d barely even opened it when the creature was floating above him, his beady eyes looking down on him through the Cheshire grin that was permanently plastered across his face.

He’d gone through the portal. Kurogiri had felt him move through the space between, but he hadn’t seen a single moment of the movement.

He was screwed.

He opened another portal.

Korosensei simply moved out of the way.

“Look close students!” Korosensei called out, not taking his eyes off Kurogiri._ Shit. When had the students gotten here?_ “This is how an assassin dresses!”

What? Kurogiri would have blinked if he had eye lids. All the while portals were opening and closing constantly as Kurogiri tried desperately to even catch a single tentacle in one. The monster just _kept moving_.

“The suit is clean and professional. It is well matched, but standard. Despite his unique quirk, you would never look twice at him if you walked past him on the street!” Was… was this man using him as a teaching moment? “It is common enough to pass for day wear, but nice enough to be worn among the upper class without a glance as well. This man could go wherever he wanted, and no one would bat an eye!”

Korosensei lunged forward and Kurogiri teleported to the other side of the field on instinct.

“I’m pretty sure he could go wherever he wanted with his quirk alone,” one of the students drawled. A red head that wasn’t wearing the school uniform for some reason.

“That may be true, Karma-kun, but the ability to blend into your surroundings is one an assassin must _never_ underestimate.” Korosensei dodged another portal. “Now, can anyone tell me what this delightful man is doing _wrong?_” Yep, definitely a teaching moment.

“He’s relying too much on his quirk,” another student answered. _Green hair, freckles. Nothing particularly distinct._ “His attacks are straightforward and predictable. That’s fine if he gets the drop on someone slower than him but take away either of those things and his whole plan of attack falls apart.” _What the hell was he teaching these kids!? They’re middle schoolers!_

“Very good, Midoriya-kun!” Another dodge. “There is one more thing wrong, and I’ll give you a hint! It has to do with his wardrobe.”

Kurogiri swore he could see the creature’s eyes glint in the sun. Then he was suddenly in front of Kurogiri faster than he could warp away, the monster’s tentacles wrapped around him, holding the facsimile of limbs he used in his civilian dress and sliding past his neck guard. Kurogiri froze.

“The neck brace?” a third student asked.

“Correct! While most of his body seems to be made of the same mist as his portals, this piece of armor suggests not all of it is. And, as the only visible piece of armor, it strongly suggests that whatever is underneath is highly vulnerable.”

_Nope, nopenopenope._ Kurogiri was done with this. He was not staying this close to a man this powerful that knew his weakness and _was willing and ready to use it_. Kurogiri wrapped his quirk around himself, drawing in and pulling himself through to a new location. He came out in the bar sans neck guard.

Even with the bar empty, Kurogiri couldn’t shake the feeling of vulnerability the swamped him. He felt _exposed._ He hid the unstoppable tremors beneath the shadows that wrapped so comfortingly around his body.

“Ah, Kurogiri,” the voice from the screen in the corner spoke, “you’re back sooner than I… what happened?”

"The target was… more than I could handle,” Kurogiri admitted. He was ashamed to say his voice trembled when he spoke. “He analyzed my weaknesses and was positioned to exploit them before I managed to do anything to him.”

There was silence on the other end. “I suppose I’m not surprised. He is faster than any other individual on record. Do not worry, Kurogiri, I will get you a replacement shortly.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

Kurogiri hoped All for One got him that replacement soon. He didn’t think he was going to be willing to leave the bar until then. Or let anyone else in.


End file.
